North Yorkshire Council's Executive is meeting to consider proposals to close Eskdale School and merge it with Caedmon College.
If they back the plan then the schools could merge in September 2024.
The Governing Board of the Whitby Secondary partnership set out three linked factors as the reasons for their proposal to amalgamate Caedmon College Whitby and Eskdale School: low pupil numbers, significant financial challenges at both schools and an imperative to give the best education and curriculum to the young people of Whitby.
The plans have ben met with strong opposition in the town. In February 2,479 people signed a petition to save Eskdale School.
Whitby Town Council, councillors, and members of the public have raised concerns about the plan and have called for a full review of secondary education in Whitby but the council has said it is “unclear who would conduct an independent inquiry”.
Campaigners have said that there should be two 11 – 16 schools based on the Eskdale and the Caedmon sites, with the old community college site sold to provide additional revenue and potential space for community use.
The MP for Scarborough and Whitby, Sir Robert Goodwill, also recently wrote to the council’s corporate director for children and young people’s services, Stuart Carlton, asking whether the authority would consider the “clear alternative” that was proposed by parents and other locals.
However, North Yorkshire Council declined to comment on the alternative proposals until the executive committee decides on the existing plan on June 20.
Terri-Anne Jones, a member of the Keep Choice in Whitby and Save Eskdale campaign organisation has also raised a number of concerns relating to the Caedmon College site, the release of information by the council and school governors relating to decision-making processes, funding, and the authority’s consultation process.
However, in a report prepared for the upcoming meeting, North Yorkshire Council has defended its actions and provided responses to many of the issues raised.
The report notes that it “complied with the legislation for publishing the statutory proposals and regarding consultation” and “has no concerns regarding the decision making from the governors” regarding the statutory proposal process.
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting Service, on Tuesday, June 13, Terri-Anne Jones said:
“The proposal is the only option they looked at from September last year, it was decided that if the amalgamation took place, this is the option.
“It should’ve been that we look at all of the options with an open mind, but they have gone into it blinkered.”
However, a council report prepared for the upcoming meeting states that a report in April
“set out the other options that had been considered by governors and the reasons that this proposal has been brought forward for consultation”.
It adds:
“No other option had been identified which addresses the core issues of low pupil numbers, financial challenges and an imperative to give the best education and curriculum to the young people of Whitby.”
Statutory closure notices were issued in April, since then the council says it has received responses from 21 individuals, 18 of whom were opposed to the closure, 1 was in favour and 2 people offered comments but appeared neutral on the amalgamation.
The recommendation being presented to the council's Executive Committee today is that they accept the proposal to close Eskdale School at the end of August 2024 and increase the permitted number of Pupils at Caedmon College.
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